Gauge



Dec. 13, 1932. A. w. ALTVATER GAUGE Filed June 9, 1950 M6 adv/awa te Patented Dec. 13, 1932 UNITED STATS,

ARTHUR W. 'ALTVA'IER, or UNIVERSITY orrY, MIsso oRI, ASSIGNOR T WESTERN SUPPLIES COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI GAUGE Application filed June 9,

The present invention relates todevices or machines used in the manufacture of boots and shoes, and more particularly to adjustable gauges therefor. I

Shoe upper vamps in a center graded series of the same style have a common throat curvature, and therefore may be engaged singly by the same gauge. But the tip heights, that is, the distance between the throat and the tip taken on the center line, increase regularly from the smallest to the largest sizeinthe center graded series ofthe same style in accordance with a standard system. Stated in another way, some upper blanks have both center and regular graded portions. Heretofore considerable practical difliculty has been experienced in locating the tips on a series of Vamps of the same style, having both center and regular graded portions, uniformly in a machine for performing an operation thereon.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a machine for operating on shoe upper blanks having both center and regular graded portions with means forlocating the tips of the blanks uniformlyin the machine notwithstanding variations in the tip height grades. 1 I

To the accomplishment of'this object and such others as may appearhereinafter, the

various features of the present invention reside in certain devices, combinations and ar rangements of parts hereinafter described and then set forth broadly and in detail in the appended claims which possess advantages readily apparent to those skilled in th art.

The various features of the present invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawing illustrating the best form of the invention at present known to the inventor, in which, U Figure 1 is a view in plan of the work support of a machine for operating upon shoe upper Vamps; v

1930. Serial No. 460,081.

. .Fig. 2 is a detail view inunderside plan of thegauge adjusting means, and V Fig. 3 is a detail view in sectional elevation on the line 3-3, Fig. 1. j

In the illustrated embodiment of the inventlon'the work support of the shoe machine is provided with a flat plate 4 (Fig. 1) having formed therein two separated rows of open ings 5 through which may be seen the tubes fisupported from below the plate 4. Adja- Cent the openings 5 are the impression mark ers 7 and 8. w b

The vamp to be perforated and marked is supported by the plate 4 directly over the openings 5 and the markers 7 and 8. To this end a leaf spring 9 is secured by one end to the plate 4 so that a vamp may he slipped beneath the spring 9 and be held thereby from displacement on the plate.

It will be apparent to those skilled in this art, that the machine, the work support of which is illustrated in Fig. 1, performs the combined operations of perforating and impression marking on the vamp of a shoe upper. After the vamp is perforated and marked thelines formed by the impression markers are used as guides to locate rows of stitching adjacent the perforations. The perforations and stitching impart a decorative appearance to the shoe. This particular decoration is called, possibly for want of a better term, an imitation tip. However, this perforating and impression marking machine has been selected merely for the purpose of disclosing the present invention as thevarious features thereof are not limited in the scope of their application to any one particular type of shoe machine.

In order to gauge the vamp its peripheral throat edge is engaged bya gauge or pattern 10. The pattern is shaped to engage uniformly the peripheral throat edge of each Vamp in a center graded series of the same style. Such a series of the same style may have different sizes and/or widths. By a center graded vamp, sometimes called a held vamp, I mean one having the same throat curvature for all sizes and/or widths of the same style.

While the peripheral throat edges of the Vamps of the same style are center graded the tip lines are regular graded. That is, the tip height, the distance between the feet of the lead-lines A and B in Fig. 1, increases regularly from the smallest to the largest size in the series of the same style in accordance with a standard system.

In order to gauge the throats in each style havin a different curvature from the throats in a different style, the machine is provided with a number of differently shaped patterns 10 which may be interchangeably mounted singly on a flat plate 11 supported independently of the plate 4. The'upper surface of the pattern 10 is provided with a lateral recess 12 which receives a leafspring 13, norrower than the recess, secured by one end to the plate 11. In addition, the pattern 10 is provided with two holes 14 which receive cylindrical pins 15. These pins project vertically through slots 16 in the plate 11 from a fiat plate 17 (Fig. 2) mounted in a manner presently to be described on the bottom of the plate 11. As shown in 3 each pin 15 is provided with a shank 18 of reduced diameter 1 the free end of which is headed onto the bottom of the plate 17. c In order to locate the tip, or tip line, onthe vamps of different sizes of the same style uniformly in, the machine notwithstanding variations in the regular grade thereof, the plate 17 is mounted to slide in a rectilinear path in the direction of the length of the-vamp on the bottom of the plate 11; To this end the plate 17 is provided with three'slots 19 (Fig. 2) each of which embraces, respectively, a guiding means 20, 21, and 22 depending from the plate 11. The guiding means 20 (Figs. 2 and3) is a screw, the head of which engages the bottom of the plate 17 and holds it against the bottom of the plate 11 while permitting the plate 17 to slide in a rectilinear ath. The slide 17 is moved in a rectilinear path to shift the pattern 10 by a slide 24 which is guided, to move in a rectilinear path normal to the paths of the pattern 10 and the slide 17, by arail 25 secured laterally to the bottom of the plate 11. The slide 24 comprises a top plate 26 (Figs. 1 and 3) engaged with the top of the plate 11, a bottom plate 27 (Figs.

'2 and3) extending forwardly out of contact with the bottom of the plate 11 and two blocks 28 and 29 (Fig. 3) secured tothe top and bottom plates 26 and 27 and arranged to embrace the rail 25. The slide 24 is prevented from sliding off the rail by stop pins 30 and "31 (Fig. 2) arranged to be engaged, respectively,

p by theblock 29 atits limit of movement in two j directions: 7

As shown in Fig. 1 the top plate 26 of the slide 24 is provided with a line 32 which may be registered with similar lines 33 on a scale formed on the top of the plate 11. As shown the scale bears the notations 11, 11 12, 12 and 13, thus indicating that the particular shoe machine illustrated operates upon the Vamps for childrens or misses shoes.

In order to resolve any movement of the slide 24 along the rail 25 into a microscopic movement of the gauge or pat-tern 10, the plate 17 carries a cross-piece 34 riveted-thereto The cross-piece 34 extends in a non-parallel relation to the path of movement of the slide 24. The cross-piece, 34 is embraced by a block 35 secured to the plate 27 of the slide 24 so that the slide 24 may in effect slide on the cross-piece 34 when it slides on the rail 25. With this construction a movement of the slide 24 from its position in Fig. 1 to a posi tion where the block 29 engages the stop pin 31- results only in the small movement of the gauge 10 from the full to'the construction lined position of Fig. 1.

From an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2 it is apparent that if the cross-piece 34 had a par allel relation with the rail 25 that movement of the slide 24 on the rail would not be transmitted to the gauge 10. It is also apparent by locating the cross-piece 34 on the slide 17 slightly out of parallel relation with the rail 25, that an extensive movement of the slide 24 is resolved into a microscopic movement of the gauge 10. Thus, if the operative fails to register the line 32 on the plate 26 exactly with one of the lines 33 on the scale plate 11 the'error is not transmit-ted directly to the gauge. On the contrary, the error is so minirnized by the time it reaches the gauge 10 as to be negligible.

In the broader aspects of the invention the slide 24 and the cross-piece 34 constitute a device which permits an approximated and exaggerated movement of the gauge adjusting means and provides for an accurate and microscopic movement of the gauge responsive thereto. While the division lines on the scale plate 11 are separated remotely, thus necessitating an extensive movement of the slide 24 in transferring it from a position where it registers with one division line to a position where it registers with another division line, the device provides for a microscopic movement of the gauge 10 responsive to the extensive movement of the slide 24.

Nothing herein explained is to be interpreted as limiting the invention in the scope of its application to use in connection with the particular apparatus or the particular mode of operation or both selected for purposes of illustration and explanation. While the particulars of construction herein set forth are well suited to one mechanical form 'of the; invention, it is not limited to these. de-

of all its features, nor is it to be understood that these particulars are essential since they may be modified within the skill of the artisan without departing from the true scope of the actual inventions, characterizing features of which are set forth in the following claims by the intentional use of generic terms and expressions inclusive of various modifications.

What is claimed as new, is:

1. In a machine for operating on shoe upper blanks the combination with means for gauging singly a series of upper blanks having both center graded and regular graded portions, of means under the control of the operative for adjusting the gauging means in the direction of the length of the blank to locate the regular graded portions uniformly in the machine notwithstanding variations in thegra-de thereof.

2. A shoe machine having, in combination, means for supporting an upper blank flatwise, a gauge for engagement with the upper blank, a slide therefor, means for guiding the slide to move in a rectilinear path, a second slide, means for guiding the second slide to move in a rectilinear path normal to the path of the first slide, and a crosspiece, mounted on the first slide in nonparallel relation with both of said paths throughout its length, slidably connected to v the second slide.

3. In a machine for operating on shoe upper blanks the combination with meansfor gauging singly a series of upper blanks having both center and regular graded portions, and a device under the control of the operative for adjusting the gauging means in the direction of the length of the blank "to locate the regular graded portions uniformly in the machine, notwithstanding variations in the grade thereof, and means for converting an extensive movement of the device into a microscopic movement of the gauging means.

4. In a machine for operating on shoe upper blanks the combination with means for gauging singly a series of Vamps having center graded throats and regular graded tips and a slide for shifting the gauging means in the direction of the length of the vamp to locate the tips uniformly in the machine notwithstanding variations in the grades thereof, and means for converting an extensive movement of the slide into a microscopic movement of the gauging means.

5. A machine for operating on Vamps having, in combination, means for supporting a vamp comprising a removable pattern having guide means thereon shaped to engage uniformly the peripheral throat edge of a series of center graded Vamps of the same style notwithstanding variations in their sizes and widths, said Vamps having regular graded tips, means for shifting said pattern to locate the tips uniformly in the machine notwithstanding variations in the grade thereof, and means for converting an extensive movement of the shifting means into a microscopic movement of the pattern.

6. In a shoe machine, the combination with a plate and a gauge movablethereon, of means for holding the gauge in engagement with the plate comprising a recess in the gauge and a pressing member secured to the plate and engaged in the recess and means for relatively moving the gauge and the pressing member while it remains in the recess.

7. In a shoe machine, the combination with a. plate, a gauge movable thereon and means for holding the gauge in engagement with the plate comprising a recess in the gauge and a pressing member, narrower than the recess, secured to the plate and engaged in the recess, of means for sliding the gauge on the plate while the pressing member remains in the recess.

8. In a shoe machine, the combination with a plate and a gauge movable thereon, of means for detachably mounting the gauge on the plate comprising vertical pins mounted independently of the plate and loosely engaged with the gauge, a recess in the gauge, and a pressing member secured to the plate and engaged in the recess and means for moving the gauge on the plate while the pressing member remains in the recess.

'9. In a machine for operating on shoe upper blanks, the combination with a marker and means for gauging singly a series of upper blanks having both center graded and regular graded portions, of means for relatively adjusting the marker and the gauging means in the direction of the length of the blank to locate the tips of the blanks uniformly with relation to the marker notwithstanding variations in the tip height grades.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR W. ALTVATER. 

